


Tin Heart

by Amethyst Shard (AmethystShard)



Category: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-21
Updated: 2008-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 05:15:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1633427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmethystShard/pseuds/Amethyst%20Shard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are some things Cameron can't protect John from.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tin Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to Moriann for beta'ing this. And to my recipient, I hope you enjoyed your story.
> 
> Written for tevere

 

"Have you seen John?"

Derek halted his descent of the stairs. He looked up startled, as though he hadn't been aware of Cameron's presence. It was unlike Derek to be so unaware of his surroundings. If this behavior continued, she would need to discover the source of his distraction and eliminate it if possible. Nothing could stand in the way of their mission - protecting John Connor. Derek stared at her for what humans would consider a long pause, 8.2 seconds precisely, before answering, "He's in his room."

Cameron stepped onto the stairway, but Derek shot out his arm stopping her. She looked at the obstruction curiously.

"He's upset. He needs some time to himself. _Space_." He emphasized the last word. He was staring again. He did that a lot. Cameron wondered what he was looking for.

"Tell me you're going to give him some space."

It was clear that Derek would not move until she complied. "I will give him space." 

Derek nodded, dropping his arm. Their shoulders brushed as he passed her. She waited until he was out of sight, and then continued her journey up to John's bedroom.

She found John sitting on his bed, knees pulled up to his chest, arms folded over them. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were unfocused as he stared at something unseen. Cameron pushed the half-open door and stepped inside uninvited. John's eyes snapped into focus, locking onto her.

"I'm sorry things ended badly with Riley."

John glared. "No, you're not."

Cameron walked to the edge of John's bed. "She was a security risk."

"Yeah. You were right. Good for you." 

_Sarcasm._ Cameron was getting better at recognizing it. She sat down, the bed dipped under her weight. John shifted away from her. "She broke your heart."

"What do you know about broken hearts? You're a machine."

"I know that you protect those that matter most to you. I protect you, John."

John got that unfocused looked as he sighed. "That's not love. You were programmed to protect me."

"Yes, I was programmed to protect you." Cameron leaned closer. She'd spent time studying how humans did this. Had practiced on one until she was certain she could do it right. She pressed her lips against John's applying only light pressure. She placed a hand against his neck and felt his pulse quicken under her touch. The man she had gotten to teach her how to kiss had opened his mouth, but John's remained firmly clamped. Cameron pulled back to assess the problem. John was completely rigid apart from his heaving chest and flaring nostrils. Between teeth he ground out, "What was that?"

"A kiss." Cameron was confused by John's reaction. She was certain she had done everything right. "Didn't you like it?"

John looked appalled. "No!"

"Strange. I was told I was a good kisser."

John's jaw dropped. "Who-? Never mind, I don't want to know. Why did you kiss me?"

"You're lonely. Humans need physical contact to be happy."

John closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "No one cares if I'm happy, just that I stay alive long enough to see the world end. Being happy isn't important."

"You're wrong. It's important."

"You want me to be happy? Don't ever do that again."

This wasn't going the way Cameron had calculated it would. John was lonely, but he still rejected her, even though she was offering him a solution. It didn't make sense. Humans could be so unpredictable. And they accused _her_ programming of being flawed. Cameron moved off the bed. She needed time to analyze John's reaction and work out where she went wrong.

"Where are you going?"

Cameron paused in the doorway, turning her head back to smile at John. "Out. You need space."

Derek was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. His arms were folded as he leaned against the wall. "I told you to give him space."

"No, you told me to say that I would give him space."

Derek clenched his jaw. His eyes closed as he took a deep breath, just like John, before speaking. "What you're trying? It's going to mess him up bad. The kid has enough troubles as it is."

"You were eavesdropping."

"You left the door open," Derek replied tersely. "Trust me; I'd rather not have seen any of that. He can't love you. It would destroy him."

"Why? Because humans can't love machines?"

Derek shook his head. He looked tired and worn. "No, because you can't love him back."

Cameron wondered why humans put so much emphasis on the word love. The word love had no meaning without actions. Humans were always hurting that which they claimed to love. If something has value, it should be protected. Is that not an expression of true love? What if your sole existence revolves around protecting one man?

  


* * *

  


The park was empty apart from a few early morning joggers. Cameron heard footsteps approach behind her. By the sound and rhythm the steps made as they fell, Cameron calculated the height and weight of the person making them. Human. Male. John.

"Hi, John." Cameron spun the swing around. Its chains creaked as they twisted. 

John didn't return her greeting. Instead he sat down on the swing next to hers. "You didn't come back to the house last night."

"No, I had things to think about. And you needed space."

John laughed, but he didn't look amused. "Mom's pissed."

"Did something happen?"

"No," John replied quickly, "She was just worried. The more she's worried about something, the angrier she gets." John said this fondly, a hint of a smile on his lips, which also confused Cameron.

Cameron lifted her feet, letting the twisted chains unwind. When it stopped spinning she planted her feet on the ground and stood up. "I should return then, so she doesn't have to worry." John followed her. Cameron tried to discern his expression as they walked. "Are we cool?"

"No, not by a long shot." John shook his head. He rubbed the back of his neck, while keeping his eyes on the ground. "But... We will be." 

 


End file.
